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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. cap — of ice
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. lie — to recline
  6. chest — of your body
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. cap — a lid
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. track — a path
  12. kick — in football
  13. court — of a king
  14. track — a song
  15. chest — of your body
  16. mate — to breed
  17. court — for sport
  18. mate — a partner
  19. track — to keep track
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. mate — a friend
  22. chest — a box
  23. cap — a hat
  24. court — of law

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com